Persistent, targeted, optimized, soil amendment composition and method

ABSTRACT

A material for optimizing and maintaining at least one of water, nutrients, biocides, and other protectant or growth supporting chemicals in natural soils by decreasing leaching, evaporation, and volatility through application of agglomerated granules (prills) formed of engineered hydrating particles, a binder, nutrients, and protectants to the soil. Typical application is by applying prills simultaneously with seeds when drilled, broadcast, or otherwise distributed.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/918,277, filed on Dec. 19, 2013, entitled PERSISTENT,TARGETED, OPTIMIZED, SOIL AMENDMENT COMPOSITION AND METHOD, which ishereby incorporated herein by reference. This patent application alsohereby incorporates herein by reference U.S. Pat. No. 8,881,453, issuedNov. 11, 2014, U.S. Pat. No. 7,726,070, issued Jun. 1, 2010, U.S. Pat.No. 8,196,346, issued Jun. 12, 2012, and U.S. Pat. No. 8,453,377, issuedJun. 4, 2013.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to agriculture and horticulture, moreparticularly, to novel systems and methods for amending soil bydelivering materials thereinto for to maintain better introduction andmaintenance of hydration, nutrients, and protectants in the soil.

2. Background Art

Watering schedules, rain, sunshine, and other weather, with consequentsoil moisture, soil warmth, light, and air temperature vary greatly overperiods of days during a planting season. Likewise, soils may vary sodrastically that any or all of the foregoing conditions may producedifferent results for various types of soils.

Husbanded crops of Agriculture and Horticulture rely on water as atransport mechanism to draw nutrients and protectants from the groundinto the plants through roots and out into stems, leaves, and so forth.Likewise, water acts as a transpiration cooling mechanism by evaporationout through the leaves and other foliage of a plant. Thus, the health ofthe plants depends upon access to water, nutrients, protective chemicalssuch as pesticides and protectants (e.g., biocides or pathogencidesacting against insects, microbes, fungi, weeds, etc.).

Many parts of the United States receive little rainfall; thus irrigationsystems are required in many parts of the country to produce adequateyields. Irrigation or periodic rainfall is often required to have ahealthy plant. One major issue is plants may dwell for an extendedperiod without additional water, which inhibits germination, growth, andyields of plants. This is greatly determined by the overall soilstructure of clay, silt, and sand in the soil.

Different types of soils perform their functions differently. Inparticular, sandy soils and the like pass water, nutrients, andprotectants too freely. Likewise clay soils tend to hold water, but yetnot permit the water to distribute therethroughout. In general, soil maybe improved on a small scale by amending, the addition of organic mattersuch as peat moss. However, standard practice for growers does not allowfor the application of amendments to soils. On a large productionagriculture scale, soils are typically only improved by plowing undercertain plants selected for addition of organic matter. Likewise, wastematerials from corrals, grain stalks (straw) and the like may be plowedinto tracts of land in order to improve their organic content and theircapacity to hold water, nutrients, and protectants for use by theplants.

Gelatin is naturally occurring polymer. Gelatin binds with water to forma “gel.” The existence of naturally occurring polymers such as gelatinhas been augmented by the development of synthetic polymers. Suchpolymers as SAPs, polyacrylates, and polyacrylamides, and other similargels have been used for different types of binding processes.

Herein SAP refers to a super absorbent polymer that does not dissolve inwater. Rather, due to internal chemistry, such as cross-linking,particles of SAP do not dissolve, but swell as spherical entities thatmaintain their integrity and chemical structure, albeit while holdingmany times (e.g., hundreds of times) the weight of the actual polymer inabsorbed water. Some SAPs may include acrylamides, polyacrylamides, andother products of acrylic acid chemistry. However, they are consideredherein to be those polymers that absorb many times their weight inwater, while remaining insoluble in water, and therefore maintain thedistinctiveness and integrity of each particle thereof.

In contrast, PAM or polyacrylamide, when not designated as a SAP, is awater soluble polymer or co-polymer. It also absorbs water. However,absent the crosslinking of SAPs, it will dissolve in water.

Gels typically are formed by comparatively “long-chain” orhigh-molecular-weight polymers and thus are often durable in the face oferosive actions such as water running over them. Accordingly, gels suchas polyacrylate and polyacrylamides have been used to treat surfaces ofground in order to minimize erosion by passing of water thereover. Thesegels can retain up to 400× their weight in water in the gel matrix.

In past years, these polymer gels, both water soluble and insoluble,used in the soil can improve plant nutrition and moisture conditions.Many polymers originally developed for agriculture have not attractedwidespread attention. Studies found that these gels used in agriculturefor improving soils' physical properties may promote seed germinationand emergence, improve the survival rate of seedlings, reduce the needfor irrigation, and improve the use of nutrients and chemicals.

One of the many reasons the agricultural industry has not adopted theuse of gels in farming is that application rates required to demonstratebenefits are comparatively high, actually cost prohibitive for thefarmer. Studies have shown benefits of reducing irrigation, fertilizers,and chemicals in crops, while applying 20-30 lbs. of gel per acre.

It would be an advancement in the art if a grower could apply less gelper acre at economical rates that work for the grower.

Higher clay soils can retain larger amounts of water, however, when theybegin to dry, compaction is a very serious issue, which leads to verylittle porosity and oxygen for the plant, and will lead to run-off anderosion of water, nutrients, and protectants. Sandy soils result inquick leaching of water, nutrients, and protectants, as their holdingcapacity is very limited.

Thus, it would be a great advancement in the art to provide acomposition and methods whereby to automatically deliver and storewithin various soil types a mechanism to absorb, carry, hold, andre-deliver water, nutrients (e.g., fertilizer), protectants (e.g.,biocides/pathogencides), and other soil amendments to plants overextended periods of time. It would be an advance to release thesematerials in a region of greatest utility over time while resistingloss, evaporation, volatility, migration away, and the like, which occurfrequently for materials supporting plant growth in existing soils.

Granules such as nutrients (fertilizer) and protectants (pathogencides)are currently being applied in agricultural production via largebroadcast systems or directly in-furrow with a drill or air planter. Itwould be an advancement in the art of farming if a grower could alsoapply, using their existing equipment, a similar sized granule (similarto seed or fertilizer) containing protectants and nutrients that couldamend and enhance the soil (e.g., clay, silt, and sand).

It would be a further advance to optimize the use of the water,nutrients, and protectants being used in the field. This would be afurther advance if also optimizing the materials and rates used foramending the soils to better absorb, carry, hold, and ultimately deliversuch components back to the plant, which would decrease the loss ofwater, nutrients, and protectants from run-off, leaching, or both.

It would be a great advancement and simplification if done in such amanner and configuration that the grower would be able to take suchadvancement and integrate it easily into existing farming methods. Theconglomeration of one or all of a hydrophilic material, nutrient, andprotectant made into a granule of similar size, shape, and density asexisting granules being used by growers would advance the overall art ofgrowing crops like corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton, sunflowers, and thelike.

Existing granules being used in this art can range in granule size. Somegranules may have a comparatively greater density (mass per unitvolume), specific weight (weight per unit volume), or specific gravity(density compared to that of water). Others may have comparativelylesser values of such. The term “density” will be used herein torepresent the performance for all the above.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, in accordance with the invention as embodiedand broadly described herein, a method and composition are shown foramending soil. One advance in the art is to provide a process or methodof delivering soil amendments into soils, near seeds or roots to be mosteffective. A further advance is to use an agglomeration to form granules(prills) of one or all of a hydrophilic material, nutrients, andprotectants to be used with the existing application of otherfertilizers and chemical granules. The prills are calculated,formulated, and distributed to optimize the water (in both irrigated anddry land fields) and the normal nutrient and chemical regimen byamending the soils, while not changing the growers' application system.

In one embodiment of the composition, a mixture of similarly sizedmaterials (hydrating agent, nutrients, protectant, soil modifiers suchas lime, gypsum, acids, alkalines, etc., or other materials) are allcoated with a binder and formed into granules/prills. One embodiment ofthe composition and method in accordance with the present inventionincludes small (5 to 400) micron particles of a hydrophilic materialformed as a granule with a binder, then coating it with one or moreouter layers of hydrophilic material mixed with other amendments and abinder. These outer layers of hydrophilic material may includenutrients, protectants, or other materials. Each may be in a coregranule, the first layer, or other layer. Distributing (e.g., spreading,broadcasting, sowing, planting, etc.) the coated granule or prill (e.g.,agglomerated amendment of hydrophilic powder, chemicals, biocides, soilmodifiers, or any combination thereof, etc.).

Various protectants (e.g., biocides, pathogencides, pesticides,fungicides, herbicides) hydration aids, nutrients and combinationsthereof may be added as powders bonded, by the binder together with thehydrophilic material or to it. On the other hand, any protectant ornutrient that may be mixed or dissolved into the hydration binder may bedistributed therewith. In certain embodiments, the material of thepowders will sooner or later, as designed, separate from the attachmentin the prill. With subsequent hydration absorbents will absorb water andsoluble nutrients and biocides.

Absorbents may then slowly release to the plant the protectants,nutrients, or both directly to adjacent roots. Materials in prills maybe extended by “fillers” or in other words “extenders.” Dry flow agentsand any other appropriate excipients may be applied in forming thegranule or prill to match the overall requirement for active hydrophilicmaterial, nutrient, protectant, or their combination.

Also, various other chemicals or structural amendments may be includedin prills in accordance with the invention. For example, lime, gypsum,sulfurous acid, and the like may modify soil chemistry or structuralconstitution to aid in the processes of water retention, remediation,transport, or the like. Such materials may remediate acidity,alkalinity, salt, or other chemistry of soils.

Thus, soil amendment materials that aid the soil in becoming a betterhost for plants may be added, even though they are not taken up directlyby plants. Any materials may be added to prills as separate particles,as chemicals absorbed into polymers, or otherwise as part of the mix ofmaterials forming the prills. These added materials may then beintroduced into the soil to amend chemical or mechanical characteristicsof the soil, to be taken up by plants, to protect the soil for thebenefit of plants, to feed plants, to protect plants within their ownstructures, or any combination thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing features of the present invention will become more fullyapparent from the following description and appended claims, taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings. Understanding that thesedrawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are,therefore, not to be considered limiting of its scope, the inventionwill be described with additional specificity and detail through use ofthe accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a prill, inaccordance with the invention, including a binder holding togethernutrients, biocides, and absorbents;

FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of alayered prill;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration representing an alternativeembodiment of a single agglomeration in which constituents havedisparate sizes;

FIG. 4 is a schematic representation of an alternative embodiment of aprill in which the agglomeration includes a typical distribution ofsizes of all constituents in about the same range for each;

FIG. 5 is a schematic representation of the tendency of particles upontumbling, mixing, or working to more closely approximate a sphere;

FIG. 6 is a schematic illustration of an alternative embodiment of aprill formed about a substrate;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view thereof, illustrating a substrate, suchas a seed, forming the core of a prill;

FIG. 8 is a schematic block diagram of a manufacturing process forcombining various absorbents, biocides, nutrients, and binders;

FIG. 9 is a schematic block diagram of a process for optimizing a prilldesign and the application process;

FIG. 10 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a process foroptimizing prill design and application;

FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram of a process for manufacturing aprill in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic block diagram of a process from specification ofconstituents through manufacturing, application, data collection, andanalysis of the results of application of prills in accordance with theinvention;

FIG. 13 is a side, elevation, partial cross-sectional view of a drillapplying seed and prills simultaneously;

FIG. 14 is a schematic block diagram of the operational process of theprill supply, including each individual prill, operating subsequent to amanufacturer, from application to delivery of constituents to thesubject plants; and

FIG. 15 is an illustration of operation of prills upon hydration, suchas occurs after application to soil.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

It will be readily understood that the components of the presentinvention, as generally described and illustrated in the drawingsherein, could be arranged and designed in a wide variety of differentconfigurations. Thus, the following more detailed description of theembodiments of the system and method of the present invention, asrepresented in the drawings, is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention, as claimed, but is merely representative of variousembodiments of the invention. The illustrated embodiments of theinvention will be best understood by reference to the drawings, whereinlike parts are designated by like numerals throughout.

Reference numerals are used with respect to various steps and processesand components of devices in composition described hereinbelow. Atrailing letter behind the reference number corresponding to an itemrefers to a specific instance of the numbered item.

It will be proper herein to speak of a reference numeral with notrailing letter, or a reference numeral with a trailing letter. Thereference numeral alone indicates a component of that designation. Atrailing letter indicates a specific instance, which may be necessary oruseful for clarity in speaking of a specific instance of the itemdesignated by the numeral. Thus, it is not necessary that everyreference numeral be used alone, nor that every reference numeral with atrailing letter be used herein for clarity.

Referring to FIG. 1, and FIGS. 1-15 generally, a prill 10 may be thoughtof as a granule 10 having a shape, that will typically be approximatelyspherical in nature. Nevertheless, a prill 10 may be formed by any oneof several methods. For example, prills may be formed by discpelletizing, sometimes known as pan granulation, or paddle mixing,sometimes referred to as a pug mill, or other methods. The prill 10 maybe formed by drum granulation in a “drum pelletizer.” Other devicesinclude a pin mixer. Likewise, briquetting is another feasible methodfor forming a prill 10.

Briquetting represents a casting or forming process for the mixture ofconstituents. The other methods, like disc pelletizing, constituteagglomeration processes. Agglomeration will tend to produce prills 10that approximate spheres. In contrast, briquetting can be used to form aprill 10 in any particular shape. For flow, delivery, measurement,volumetric efficiency, and so forth, a spherical shape may be mostsuitable.

As a practical matter, a seed drill must accommodate seed. Seed is notnecessarily round. Seeds have a variety of irregular shapes. A seeddrill may include a hopper (or several) for delivery of seed withanother (corresponding) hopper reserved for other materials, such asfertilizer. Prills 10 in accordance with the invention may be mixed withseed. However, they are preferably delivered from their own dedicatedhopper into the ground simultaneously with the seed, each from its ownsource, in one or more delivery conduits into the ground.

In the illustrated embodiment, the surface 12 is actually an outersurface 12, formed by a binder 14 holding together various powdered orparticulate nutrient 16, biocides 18, and absorbents 20. Typicalnutrients may include, for example, nitrogen and its sources, potassiumand compositions thereof, phosphorous, zinc, manganese, magnesium,sulfur, boron, calcium, silicon, chlorine, iron, copper, molybdenum,nickel, selenium, and sodium. Sizes may be from about 5 to about 400microns in effective diameter. A range of 100 to 200 microns works well.Particles may have a comparatively narrow or broad range of sizes of anymaterial.

Typical biocides 18 may be referred to as protectants 18 orpathogencides 18. In general, a biocide 18 is anything that acts againsta biological organism, whether plant or animal, whether macroscopic,such as insects, or microscopic, such as bacteria, mold, microbes,fungi, or the like. Thus, in general, biocides 18 may includeprotectants 18 such as herbicides 18, insecticides 18, fungicides 18,other pesticides 18 against microscopic or macroscopic pests, and soforth. Similarly, nutrients may include any of the chemicals, metals,catalysts, growth enhancers, growth regulation, or foregoing materials.Each is typically bound up in some source material, a compound of thenutrient, which compound will deliver, based on certain chemicalreactions or processes, the key nutrient to a plant.

The absorbents 20 may be water soluble or insoluble. Applicants havefound that water-soluble nutrients have certain benefits documented inother patent applications that have been incorporated herein byreference. Meanwhile, non-dissolving or insoluble absorbents have alsobeen shown to be extremely useful. Nevertheless, they have difficultieswith their application rates, costliness, and so forth.

In a composition and method in accordance with the invention, theabsorbents 20 may be water-soluble absorbents 20, such as acrylamides ofvarious types and acrylate-based polymers, copolymers, and so forth.Likewise, various other super absorbent polymers (SAP) may also be used,which are insoluble in water. These tend to remain longer in-situ, andthus may have greater longevity even within a single season. This may besignificant in the operation of the prill 10 as a delivery mechanism fornutrients that should disperse, but not leach away.

For example, a prill 10 in accordance with the invention may dissolveits binder 14 upon application of water to a row crop in a furrow wherethe prill 10 has been sown with seed. Thus, the binder 14 may dissolve,releasing the powdered or particulate nutrients 16, biocides 18, andabsorbents 20.

In turn, as the nutrients 16 and biocides 18 dissolve with the water,they are absorbed with that water into the absorbent 20. Thus, they arereleased and immediately captured by the same transport mechanism,diffusion through (and diffusion of) water from irrigation or rain intothe soil, into the absorbent 20. Components 16, 18 are thereby capturedfor future use of a nearby plant root, rather than leaching away.

Typical insecticides 22 or other pesticides 22 may be thought of asspecific biocides 18 in a specific instance directed to fauna, animalkingdom actors. Meanwhile, herbicides 24 may be thought of as specificbiocides 18 directed to flora or plant materials, such as weeds, otherherbs, any competing plant variety, old volunteer crops, and so forth.Likewise, molds, fungi, and certain other micro organisms, may bethought of as flora or plant-kingdom pestilence.

In one embodiment of the composition, a mixture of similarly sizedmaterials (hydrating agent, nutrients, protectant, soil modifiers suchas lime, gypsum, acids, alkalines, etc., or other materials) may becoated with a binder and formed into granular prills to be distributed(e.g., spread, broadcast, sown, drilled, injected, planted, etc.). Eachmay include any one or more constituent in the coated granule or prill(e.g., agglomerated amendment, whether including hydrophilic powder,other hydration aid, biocides, pathogencides, pesticides, fungicides,herbicides, other chemicals, lime, gypsum, acid, alkali, other soilmodifiers, or any combination thereof, etc.).

Certain of the foregoing may be mixed or dissolved into the hydrationbinder, hydrating polymer, other binder, or a combination. In certainembodiments, the material of the powders (small constituent particles ofthe prill) will sooner or later, as designed, separate from theattachment in the prill. With subsequent hydration, absorbents mayabsorb water and soluble nutrients and biocides.

Absorbents may then slowly release to the plant the protectants,nutrients, or both directly to adjacent roots. Materials in prills maybe extended by “fillers” or in other words “extenders.” Dry flow agentsand any other appropriate excipients may be applied in forming thegranule or prill to match the overall requirement for active hydrophilicmaterial, nutrient, protectant, or their combination.

Various chemicals or structural amendments that may be included inprills, such as lime, gypsum, sulfurous acid, and the like may modifysoil chemistry or structural constitution to aid in the processes ofwater retention, remediation, transport, or the like. Such materials mayremediate acidity, alkalinity, salt, or other chemistry of soils.

Thus, soil amendment materials that aid the soil in becoming a betterhost for plants may be added, even though they are not taken up directlyby plants. Any materials may be added to prills as separate particles,as chemicals absorbed into polymers, or otherwise as part of the mix ofmaterials forming the prills. These added materials may then beintroduced into the soil to amend chemical or mechanical characteristicsof the soil, to be taken up by plants, to protect the soil for thebenefit of plants, to feed plants, to protect plants within their ownstructures, or any combination thereof.

Each prill 10 will typically have a radius 26 measured from its centerto its outer surface 12, which thereby defines a diameter 28 across thefull extent of the prill 10. A diameter 28 may be defined for anycross-section. Typically, agglomeration processes for forming prills 10will tend to form approximately spherical shapes. Thus, the diameter 28may be an actual diameter of a spherical object.

Nevertheless, in certain instances, shapes may not necessarily beperfectly round. A non-round shape may still have an effective radius 26and effective diameter 28. In general, a particle or space of irregularshape may still have a diameter defined. Four times the cross-sectionalarea divided by the wetted perimeter yields a formula for hydraulicdiameter. Herein, by effective diameter is meant the hydraulic diameterin a situation where an actual single uniform diameter does not exist.

Meanwhile, each particle 16, 18, 20, 30 may also have an effectiveradius 27, and effective diameter 29, which characterize it. These radii27 and diameters 29 may exist over a range of sizes within a singleprill 10, or over several different prills 10. Meanwhile, prills 10,themselves, may be formed to have an effective radius 26 and diameter 28of any suitable size.

For example, the size of a prill 10 may be selected to correspond toseed, fertilizer, or other material with which (or in the equipment forwhich) the prills 10 will be applied. This way, no change in process, nochange in equipment, and no change in settings will need to be made inorder to apply the prills 10 in an agricultural process. Thus, in oneembodiment, calculations and measurements of application rates, deliveryvolumetric flows, and so forth may be easily determined and easily seton equipment for applying the prills 10 to a soil.

Thus, in general, each of the particles 16, 18, 20, 30 may be thought ofas a generic particle 30. Thus, we may speak of all the particles 30, orany of the particles 30, or of specific types of particles 16, 18, 20.

Referring to FIG. 2, an embodiment of a prill 10 in accordance with theinvention may be constructed in a layered configuration. For example, inthe illustrated embodiment, an inner agglomeration 32 or an inner prilllayer 32 or core 32 may exist. It may be formed by any of the processesby which the overall prill 10 is formed. However, the constituents ofthe inner agglomeration 32 may be different from those of an outeragglomeration 34. For example, an inner agglomeration 32 may be formed,with some binder 14 and various particles 30, such as the particles 20a. Thereafter, the inner agglomeration 32 may be added to with one ormore outer agglomerations 34 or layers 34. These may include the same ordifferent particles 20 b. Meanwhile, either one or both of theagglomerations 32, 34 may include an appropriate amount of binder 14,nutrients 16, biocides 18, absorbents 20, a combination thereof, asub-combination thereof, or the like. For example, in one embodiment theinner agglomeration 32 may be constituted by primarily nutrients 16 andbiocides 18, with a comparatively lesser fraction of absorbents 20.Meanwhile, the outer agglomeration 34 may be constituted by primarilyabsorbents 20. In such an embodiment, the disintegration of the prill 10from the outside first would sew the soil with the bulk of theabsorbents 20 before the nutrients 16, biocides 18, or both arereleased. In this way, for example, the absorbents 20 in the outeragglomeration 34 would be first to be released from the binder 14, andthus be hydrated and ready to absorb the dissolved nutrients 16 andbiocides 18, when those are dissolved from and released by the inneragglomeration 32.

Referring to FIG. 3, while continuing to refer to FIGS. 1-7 and FIGS.1-15, generally, there is no fundamental requirement that nutrients 16,biocides 18, and absorbents 20 all be of the same size. There is also nofundamental prohibition thereagainst. Thus, in the illustratedembodiment the prills 10, in FIG. 3, particles 30 may be shown at widelydisparate sizes. The schematics cannot even show just how widely theparticles 30 may differ from one another in size, orders of magnitude indiameter or mass. Of course, even within one species, such as a singlenutrient 16 or biocide 18, or even absorbents 20, a range of sizes mayexist (e.g., by natural Gaussian distribution) within a constituent. Onthe other hand, constituents may instead be run through a system ofsieves in order to assure a narrowing of the size distribution thereof.

Referring to FIG. 4, the particles 30 may be formed in such a way thatnutrients 16, biocides 18, and absorbents 20 are all within the samecomparatively close size range selected. This simplifies certainmanufacturing processes. However, depending on the process, the sequenceof events, whether a prill 10 is substantially homogenous or uniform inits distribution of constituents, whether it is layered, or the like,such parameters may vary. Size will typically be engineered valueselected for or obtaining proper dissolving and dispersion rates of thekey constituent.

Referring to FIG. 5, a particle 30 a may have any shape, includingconcavities, sharp corners, or the like. Nevertheless, by tumbling,processing, mixing, and even certain agglomeration or othermanufacturing processes, most particles tend to be subject to roundingby the removal of corners. The particle 30 b, with more processing,milling, tumbling, or the like, the breaking off of additional cornersforms an even smoother particle 30 c. Finally it is approximating around, or almost round, particle 30 d. Again, each of these may have aneffective radius 27 and effective diameter 29 defined by hydraulicradius and hydraulic diameter.

Referring to FIGS. 6-7, while continuing to refer generally to FIGS.1-15, a prill 10 may be formed on a substrate or “substrated.” In theillustration, a binder 1 may secure nutrients 16, biocides 18, andabsorbents 20 in, on, or forming the surface 12 of the prill 10. In theillustrated embodiment, the core 36 or substrate 36 will typicallyremain impervious to the additives, such as the binder 14, the nutrients16, biocides 18, and absorbents 20.

Nevertheless, it is not necessary that every nutrient 16, every biocide18, or any combination thereof be constituted as a solid particle 30.Rather, the availability of certain nutrients 16, biocides 18, and thelike may be best as liquids. Such may be mixed into the binder 14 as aliquid, in order to provide greater flexibility in formulation andmanufacture of prills 10. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, some orall of the nutrients 16, some or all of the biocides 18, even a portionof an absorbent 20, or any combination thereof may be embodied inliquids mixed with or forming the binder 14. They may thus be applied toa substrate 36, or as a binder 14 generally in the embodiments of FIGS.1-8.

Referring to FIG. 8, nutrients 16, various types of biocides 18, such asinsecticides 18 a, fungicides 18 b, herbicides 18 c, and so forth may bemixed together to form a prill 10. Similarly, various absorbents 20,such as insoluble polymers 20 c and soluble polymers 20 d may also beincluded in a prill 10. Again, biocides 18 may include any pathogencide,such as pesticides, microbicides, insecticides, fungicides, herbicides,and so forth. Nutrients 16 may include any nutrients, as well as anyadditives that may modify growth patterns.

Many other constituents 38 may be included. For example, materials tospeed growth, inhibit growth, inhibit germination, accelerategermination, or the like may be discovered, or included from the litanyof available agricultural products currently available. Thus, whetherold or new, or yet to be discovered, various other constituents 38 maybe included in the manufacturing 40 of prills 10.

Again, a composition and method in accordance with the invention mayinclude any suitable combination of solid particles 30 and liquids inthe binder 14 in order to accomplish the delivery of a prill 10calculated to meet the specific needs of a particular application. Infact, one may optimize with suitable computer processing, formulation ofa manufacturer of prills 10.

Referring to FIG. 9, for example, one may collect 41 data related tomarket information. For example, one may think of the crop varietiespossible to be grown in a particular acreage on ground, a market for theyield of such crops, the proximity of that market, the typical paymentsin that market, whether calculated by averages, historical performance,values of futures, or even purchase of crops by a receiver of thosecrops. One may collect 41 such data and any other related to the marketfor a crop.

Meanwhile, collecting 42 data related to a site or a plot of ground, anacreage, a farm, or the like may provide various information about theavailable resources. These may include water from irrigation, water fromrainfall, or other moisture, chemical composition of the soil byconstituent, soil geology, such as clay, sand, loam, and so forth.Similarly, site data regarding drainage, and so forth may also becollected 42.

An assessment 43 or assessing 43 the constituents may be done by acomputer analysis including all of the devices and methods that soilchemistry laboratories may use. Thus one may characterize a soil to itsnature, water holding capacity, porosity, oxygenation, nutrients, and soforth. Thus, assessing 43 may involve a computerized analysis of thedata in order to provide a clear output that characterizes the site fromwhich the data was collected 42.

Likewise, assessing 44 moisture may involve weather analysis, climateanalysis, irrigation analysis and so forth. Similarly, assessing 44 themoisture may also include analysis by computer models of the particulatesize, chemical constitution, mechanical constitution (e.g. compaction,porosity, drainage) and so forth of the soil. In this way, assessing 44the moisture situation of a site will assist in understanding how muchwater is available, how it flows through the soil, its finaldisposition, its tendency to evaporate, accumulate, flow away, leachout, and so forth.

Various optimization techniques exist. For example, the Simplex Methodis a method whereby various constraints on a domain may be established,and an optimum found within the system. The Simplex Method is wellunderstood in the arts of computer science and engineering. Meanwhile,various methods such as Newton's Method, the method of steepest descent,and various other optimization techniques are well established in themathematical field of numerical methods, and the operational theory ofoptimization and so forth. Thus, any suitable optimization method may beused.

A computer may be programmed to take the assessment 43, also done by anassessment computer program (e.g., software), and the assessment 44 ofthe moisture situation, in order to optimize 45. The system may optimizea selection of crop, a yield of crop of that type, a return on the yieldof that crop, and an assortment of nutrients 16, biocides 18, andabsorbents 20 suitable to that crop and yield.

For example, it is not a foregone conclusion that more of anything isalways better. Rather, optimizing 45 the crop, yield, and return, on thebasis of a moisture assessment 44, constituent assessment 43, and therecommended content of a prill 10, or design of a prill 10 will permit afarmer or farm manager to specify exactly what will be put intoproduction, such that no constituent is over matched or improperlymatched with respect to another. All may be balanced, or moved closer tobalancing by sowing an amendment prill.

For example, if more fertilizer or nutrients 16 would provide a betteryield, but the necessary moisture content is not available, thenoutrunning the water supply with excess nutrients is not necessarily anoptimum solution. Similarly, if moisture is plentiful, but will resultin much leaching out of nutrients, then perhaps the timing of nutrients,the encapsulation or embodiment of the nutrients in a solid formation,or the like is in order. They may be optimized to provide time releasefrom a solid. Their release in close proximity to an absorbent willeffect the transport processes (an engineering expression for masstransfer) into water of the nutrients.

Meanwhile, nutrients from the absorbent 20, delivered there by theparticles 30, and nutrients 16 and biocides 18, may be absorbed andstored with water in the absorbents. These may pass directly from theroots of the plant, or both.

In general, it has been found that the absorbents 20 may be formulatedin a size of granularity that provides greatly increased surface arearatio to volume. The surface area-to-volume ratio is a function ofeffective diameter (hydraulic diameter). For example, the area of acircle is pi times radius (r) squared. The circumference is 2·pi·r. Thevolume of the sphere is 4/3πr cubed. The surface area of a sphere is 4 πr². Thus, in terms of diameter (d), circumference is πd, and the area ofthe circle is πd2/4. The volume is 1/6πd³. The area of a surface of asphere is πd². Thus, optimization may ultimately include an output thatwill provide a recommended rate of application.

The development of the mathematics demonstrates that the ratio of thesurface area of a particle to the volume of the particle variesinversely with six times the diameter. That is, area of the surfacedivided by the volume of the sphere equals one divided by six times thediameter.

One result is that the number of pounds per acre (kilograms per hectare)multiplied by the cubic feet per pound mass (density) provides the rateof how many cubic feet of material will be delivered per acre or howmany cubic meters per hectare. Likewise the number of pounds per acre tobe applied multiplied by the dollars per pound of constituent or prillequals the number of dollars per acre or dollars per hectare. This isthe cost per acre for administering or applying an additive to the soileither as an individual constituent or as a prill.

The number of pounds per foot length (meter) of furrow may be determinedby the number of rows and the length of the rows in each acre or hectareof ground. Thus the number of pounds or kilograms per foot or meter offurrow may be established. The acre may be divided up by its number offurrows or distance between furrows in order to establish the number offeet or meter of furrow per rate of area of the plot or plat. Thus, thepounds or kilograms per foot or meter of furrow multiplied by the costper pound of product provides the cost per length of furrow required.This may be correlated with the application rate of seed.

The rate of dispersion, reaction, or other process at a boundary is afunction of surface area. The size of particles may be established bythe surface area to volume ratio. Thus, according to the formulas above,as diameter decreases, the surface area per volume of each prill 10 oreach particle 30 increases at six times the rate of diameter change.Thus, the optimizing process 45 may benefit from calculating 46 thephysics of absorption, holding, and release.

For example, the physics and chemistry of the particles 30 will providea rate of release, and an amount of diffusion across the surface througha distance. Thus, Fick's law of diffusion (documented in the arts ofheat transfer, mass transport, and the like) governs the diffusion of achemical species at a concentration through an area of a medium. Thus,the calculating 46 of the physics will provide a recommendation for theratio of area to mass (or area to volume) controlling the effectivediameter of each particle 30, as well as that of the prill 10, itself.

Likewise, the calculation 46 or analysis 46 of the physics (that is, thephysical operational parameters, whether engineering, mathematics,chemistry, or the like) will establish a suitable or preferred diameter,surface area, and the material properties for rates of diffusion, ratesof absorption, and so forth. Accordingly, one may specify 47 anapplication by the rate of weight or volume of prills, and the amount ofeach constituent particle 30 within the prill including nutrients 16,biocides 18, absorbents 20, and binder 14.

The binder 14 may actually include some or all of the nutrients 16,biocides 18, or both. Meanwhile, the absorbents 20 may also absorbcertain fractions of the nutrients 16, biocides 18, and so forth,whether from the particles 30 in which they reside as solids beingdissolved by liquids in contact therewith, or from the binder 14directly. Thus, a process 50 or system 50 may specify 47 the applicationof each of the constituents in a prill 10, and the amount of prillmaterial to be applied in a furrow.

Formulating 48 a recipe includes determining by the mathematical andcomputer modeling thereof, the appropriate sizes, constituents, basematerials, active chemicals, diffusion rates, distances, solubility,other rates and material properties, and so forth for each of the binder14, nutrients 16, biocides 18, and absorbents 20.

Fabricating 49 may be done by any suitable method. For example, formingprills of fertilizer is well understood in the art. For example, FeecoInternational™ is a supplier of agglomeration machinery for use inmanufacturing plants to manufacture prills 10. Engineeringspecifications and machinery are available directly from them.

Distributing 51 may include distributing prills commercially from amanufacturing plant to various distributors, as well as a distributionprocess to individual retailers, to individual farms, and ultimatelysowing the prills in the ground with seed, or during cultivation. It iscontemplated that sowing prills 10 at the time of sowing seed is thepreferred method, as the most effective way to keep the prills 10 inclose proximity to seeds. One may thus target very specifically in thesame region, within a distance of inches or fractions of an inch, theprills 10 with respect to the seeds 36. That is, seeds may be part ofprills, as substrates 36, or may simply be simultaneously sown therewithby a drill such as a grain drill, a broadcast spreader, or the like. Aprevious patent application Ser. No. 13/598,135, incorporated herein byreference, discloses methods for achieving broadcast effectiveness incoated seeds.

Referring to FIG. 10, while continue to refer generally to FIGS. 1-15, aprocess 50 may be implemented among a system of interconnectedcomputers, including computers operating equipment on a farm or on aplot of ground, as well as laboratory equipment of others. For example,in the illustrated embodiment, over the internet 54, multiple computersmay communicate. For example, a database computer 56 may be responsiblefor hosting database software that will accumulate data and store it foruse by other computers within the system 55.

Likewise, an optimizer 58 may include one or more computers 58responsible for conducting the optimizing 45 of the process 50, thecalculating 46 or analyzing 46 of the physical realities of thechemistry, materials, material properties, and so forth. Likewise, theoptimizer 58 may include one or more computers dedicated to specifying47 the application rates based on the assessing 43, 44 of data 42collected from the site of a plot, as well as the data collected 41 forthe financial and other analyses based on markets.

Thus, each of the steps 41-51 in the process 50 may be implemented onone or more computers. The optimizer 58 may be thought of as the system58 of computers 58 that analyze data, analyze the significance of thatinformation, optimize materials and processes, and output or specify thedecision as to what materials should be used to balance with one anotherin order to optimize the use of materials without wasting water,chemicals, absorbents, other additives, or the like.

Meanwhile, a delivery system 60 or system 60 may include a motive means62, such as a tractor 62 drawing a dispersion device 64, such as a graindrill 64 or a seed drill 64. In the illustrated embodiment, the tractor62, drill 64, or both may be equipped with computers systems 66, thatmay include controllers, readers, meters, servo-controls, feedbacksensing, actuators, and so forth. Likewise, all the constituents of thecomputer, from monitors to processors, memory, and the like may existwithin the system 66.

For example, sensors 70 may operate to sense levels of materials, ratesof distribution, rates of flow, and so forth within the drill 64, on thetractor 62 over the ground, and so forth. Thus, the linear speed atwhich a tractor moves 62 and the rate of dropping by a drill 64 of seed36 and prills 10 may all be observed by sensors 70. Meanwhile, acommunication device 68 may communicate between the computer system 66,and the Internet 54 or any other computer connection thereto.

For example, various computers of 72 a, 72 b, 72 c may be of a desktoptype 72 a, a mobile tablet type 72 b, a portable hand held device 72 c,or the like. Thus, a farmer, an equipment operator, a farm manager, aproduction manager, an analyst, or other person may rely on one of thecomputers 72 to download information from the database computer 56. Theymay apply optimization techniques, such as those used by an optimizer58, or other analysis techniques in order to analyze, predict, control,direct, and otherwise effect the proper distribution, allocation, ratecontrol, and the like of distribution 51 of prills 10 on a plot ofground.

Referring to FIG. 11, in one embodiment of a process 80 in accordancewith the invention, selecting 82 may include selecting 83 a biocide,selecting 83 b a respective rate of distribution, and selecting 83 c aparticle size. By selecting 83 is not necessarily meant grabbing anumber from a look-up table although that may be done at the time ofapplication. Typically, selecting 83 requires prior analyzing, andrecommending, based on that analysis. Thus, the selection of step 82 forbiocides may be executed for multiple biocides that are indicated foruse by the assessment 43 of the process 50.

Similarly, selecting 84 nutrients may be conducted for multiplenutrients 16. For example, selecting 85 a a specific nutrient, selecting85 b the respective rate of application, and selecting 85 c a particlesize may be done for each specific nutrient 16. Several may be deemednecessary, based on the assessment 43 of the constituents in the soiland the constituents that may be properly added.

Similarly, selecting 86 a hydrophilic material 20 or an absorbent 20 mayinclude selecting 87 a the specific chemical species or composition,selecting 87 b the rate of application, and selecting 87 c a particlesize. These may all include analysis of the physics of absorption andrelease of water, absorption of various species of chemicals that may beconstituted within the binder 14, nutrients 16, biocides 18, or thelike, and so forth.

Selecting 88 a format may depend on analysis of the nature of nutrients16, biocides 18, and the binder 14. For example, substrating 89 a mayinvolve coating sand, seed, organic materials, or something else thatwill be suitable as a carrier. Likewise, agglomerating 89 b may involveagglomeration of very small particulates 30 into prills 90 in one of theforms discussed hereinabove, or another means. Likewise, layering 89 cis a process corresponding to FIG. 2 wherein one or more constituentsmay be applied in one or more layers. These may each constitute the sameor different constituents or particles 30 and proportions thereof.

Ultimately, analysis and selecting 90 a binder 14 will typicallycorrespond and depend from to the longevity desired for the prill 10 toexist as a prill 10. In certain experiments, it has been found thatprills 10 may disintegrate promptly in a matter of minutes. They maythus release smaller particles of absorbents 20 in a soil nearby.Nevertheless, because of the mechanical size of those particles 30 ofabsorbents 20, the absorbents 20 cannot migrate any great distancethrough the interstices in the soils but over long times (days, weeks)or by cultivation. Great surface area may be selected and available forthe absorbents 20, and may be also available for the nutrients 16,biocides 18, or any combination thereof.

Selecting 90 a binder involves analyzing what would be in the binder andwhat particular binder properties are necessary. Likewise, selecting 92a prill size may be based on an analysis of the flow through anapplication device 64, such as a drill 64, and may correspond to thetype of seed being dropped as well. It is also governed by dispersionactivity as it disintegrates, constituents and sizes, and so forth.

Likewise, selecting 94 a process for manufacture 40 may be done incooperation with providing 96 a recipe. For example, the specific recipewill have an effect on the manufacturing 40. Liquids will affect theagglomeration processes of fabrication 49. Meanwhile, more or lessliquid may need to be added, and certain of the solid constituents shownhere such as nutrients 16, biocides 18, or the like may alternatively beconstituted as liquids, thus altering the recipe provided 96.

Likewise, providing 98 or formulating 98 the ingredients will depend onthe analysis done before. This is typically that associated with theformulating and providing the recipe after providing 96 and the recipe.

Finally, forming 100 the prills 10 is the physical process of conductingthe agglomeration of manufacturing 40 discussed hereinabove. Thereafter,one may determine 102 mixture proportions, provide 104 the amendment tothe soil through the selection of prills, the amounts, application ratesand so forth, and distribute 106 the prills through a commercial chain.In this instance, distributing 106 does not include all that thedistributing step 51 includes.

For example, here, commercially distributing 106 will eventually resultin delivering prills in bags 130 a, boxes 130 b, totes 130 b, or thelike to a farm where loading 108 a drill will be coordinating withsetting 110 a rate of application, and actual applying 112 the prills 10with or without seed 36. For example, prills 10 may be sown as part ofcultivation. However, sowing provides a single device 64 for delivery ofthe soil amendments 10 and the seed 36 as separate granules, but in asingle operation. Meanwhile, sowing is effective at keeping prills 10and their constituents in very close proximity to seeds 36, inaccordance with the invention, if they are both drilled with the samedrill 64, at the same time.

Referring to FIG. 12, in one embodiment of a process 80, providing 113certain input data as described hereinabove may result in anagricultural specification 114. That specification 114 may specify theresult of the assessment 43 of constituents in the ground and thoseamendments (e.g., constituents of prills 10) that should be added. Ittypically includes the assessment 44 of moisture available, and thatwhich should be held by various augmentation mechanisms, such as theabsorbents 20 of the prills 10.

For example, ground may require remediation of soil conditions orchemistries, augmentation or addition of materials, and so forth.Remediation may include removal of salts, neutralizing salts, and thelike with compounds of sulfur, and the like. Meanwhile, discharge rates,application rates, frequency, mode of distribution, and the like may bedetermined by computer optimization and output as part of anagricultural specification 114. The Agricultural specification 114 isthe result of assessing 43 the constituents of the soil, and those whichmay be added for any purpose or removed, as well as assessing 44 themoisture and condition throughout the season.

Thus, providing 115 the specification 114 results in development of amaterial specification 116. This includes the material chemistry, thephases (e.g., solid, liquid, vapor) whether soluble, any excipients,such as bulking materials, weighting materials, space-takers, and anyother materials that may be needed to process the prills 10. Thespecification 114, 116 permit a process to engineer the behavior ofprills 10 from the time of formulation through application and in-situoperation. For example, chemistry, material phase, the excipients, thegrades of any of the foregoing or other materials or properties, thesieve, sizes, and the like will go into the materials specification 116.One may think of the process 50 when optimizing 45 and calculating oranalyzing 46 the physical behavior, that the materials specification 116corresponds to the output of specifying 47 the application of materialsto agricultural ground.

Meanwhile, the materials specification 116 is provided 117 to create arecipe specification 118. The recipe specification 118 is directedspecifically to proportions of the specific ingredients, and theprocesses for combining them to provide the proper physicalcharacteristics that will accomplish the formation of prills,distribution thereof, application thereof, and operation of theconstituents in those prills 10 after hydration in the ground.

Thus, the recipe specification 119 is provided to manufacturing 120which then outputs 121 the materials in various formats 122. Forexample, barrels 122 a, bags 122 b, pallets or totes 122 c, or the likemay be provided to and filled by the manufacturing process 122 b. Next,metering 124 of all of the containers 122 or the materials of thecontainers 122 in a granulation process 126 requires employment of anapparatus 128 such as a granulator 128, or one of the agglomerationdevices 128 described hereinabove.

The output 129 of the granulator 128 is the prills 10 in a product 130a, 130 b such as a bag 130 a of prills 10 a tote 130 b, such as aGaylord 130 b, or the like. Thus, the product 130 will be delivered 131to a farming operation for use in an agricultural process, such asseeding and drilling at the beginning of the season, cultivating orfertilizing later, or the like. Thereupon, application 132 or applying132 the product 130 to the plot will result in the prills 10 being sownwith the seed 36 in one of the currently contemplated embodiments.

Ongoing physical analysis 134 of soils, crop yields, and the like mayinclude weighing, counting, and the like as well as other physicalanalysis 134. For example, certain crops will be evaluated for theirproduct quantity, content, and quality. Whether food, fiber, or thelike, physical analysis 134 may provide insights into the quality (e.g.,chemistry, sugar, texture, protein, etc.) of a crop yield, its quantity(e.g., weight per area, volume, length, etc.) and so forth. Meanwhile,other analysis, such as chemical analysis 136 may provide the nutrientvalue, the presence of certain constituents, and so forth resulting fromthe soil amendments 10 sown with the seed.

All of the analysis 134, 136, as well as the basic data collected 133from the plot of ground will result in data 138 or analysis data 138that provides information corresponding to (and disclosing) theeffectiveness of the prills 10. A report 140 output to a user will helpin formulating new specifications 114 corresponding to the subject plot,possibly a new material spec 116, recipes 118, manufacturing 120, and soforth.

Referring to FIG. 13, application may be done by any suitable method.However, it has been found that minimizing the number of operations inagriculture reduces cost. Thus, if a grain drill or other drill will sowseed, whether by drilling, broadcasting, or the like, prills 10 may bedistributed by the same mechanism, and possibly by the same actualdevice, even at the same time, or any or all in any combination.

In one embodiment illustrated, a hopper 142 a may be filled with seed,and another hopper 142 b may be filled with prills 10. Each may have itsown metering device 144 a, 144 b, respectively, feeding into a conduit146 a, 146 b, respectively for drilling. Typically, each conduit 146 a,146 b will descend to within the envelope (spatial volume) defined by ashoe 150 of the drill 64 penetrating the ground 151 to extend under thesurface 153 thereof. Accordingly, ports 148 a, 148 b will drop the seed36 and prills 10, respectively into the ground 151.

Typically, a covering device 152 may follow the shoe 150, thus coveringany furrow dug by the shoe 150. Typically, discs 152 a, 152 b, maycontinuously move soil from its position away from the seed to aposition over the seed. Likewise, a drag 152, a chain, a bar, a harrow,or the like may be used as a closure device 152. In some embodiments,prills 10 may be mixed in a single hopper 142 a with seeds 36. Seeds 36may form the core of a prill 10.

Referring to FIG. 14, operation of the prills 60 has been engineered andtested in experiments to determine the operational characteristics, thebenefits of sizing the particles 30 agglomerated within each prill 10,and so forth. In one embodiment of a process of operation of the prills10, the method 160 or process 160 may include selecting 162 a rate ofapplication.

Selecting 162 rates of application has been described hereinabove forapplication by pounds per acre or kilograms per hectare, as well as massper linear length of furrow. Thus, the selecting 162 of a rate ofapplication may be corresponded with the rate of distribution of seed.Applying 164 the prills has been described with respect to FIG. 13, andelsewhere. Thus, hydrating 166 may involve irrigation, rainfall, or anynatural or artificial means.

Water coming into contact with the prills 10 will dissolve 168 thebinder 14, resulting in disintegration 170 of the prills in certainembodiments. This is in contradistinction to other inventions, even ofthe instant inventors of this application which may resistdisintegration 170 intentionally. In the case of prills 10 here,disintegration 170 is a benefit. Thus, spreading 172 by the constituentswithin disintegrating prills may occur as described hereinabove.

Specifically, the particles 30 of absorbents 20 will be able to spread172 somewhat as permitted by the mechanics of the soil, yet each remainautonomous and integral. Each particle 30 of absorbent 20 may swell withthe absorption of water, and shrink with dehydration. Still, theindividual particles 30 of absorbents 20 may spread comparatively slowlybut in the vicinity of the seed, in the furrow where both have beensown. Thus roots will reach those particles 30 of absorbents 20.

Absorbing 174 of water by the absorbents 20 will be coincident withabsorption 174 by the absorbents 20 of biocides 18 and nutrients 16dissolved 168 in the water. That is, the binder 14 dissolves 168 inorder to release all the particles 30 contained in a prill 10.Meanwhile, certain solid materials or liquids, by way of nutrients 16,biocides 18, or both, may also begin to dissolve 168 into the same waterthat is dissolving in the binder 14. Thus, absorbing 174 by theabsorbents 20 includes absorbing the water, which is held by for its ownsake as hydration for the plants, as well as nutrients 16 and biocides18 dissolve in that water.

Absorbing 174 amounts to scavenging 174 by the absorbents 20, thenutrients 16, biocides 18, and the like in the immediate vicinity.Forming a prill 10 with all of these constituents 30 within it,including the binder 14, any liquid nutrients 16 and liquid biocides 18,and well as any solid nutrients 16 and solid biocides 18 in closecontact with the absorbents 20 provides for ready absorption 174. Thiswill be true of any liquidous material contacting the absorbents 20.With the water, they will be held by the absorbents 20 for uptake byroots that later access the absorbents 20 for their water content.

Thus, the particles 30 of absorbents 20 conserve 176 or maintain 176 astore of nutrients 16, biocides 18, and water therein. Accordingly, whentouched by a root fiber capable of absorbing water, the prills 10, nowdisintegrated 170 into their constituent particles 30, such as theabsorbents 20, deliver 178 the nutrients 16 and biocides 18 to the rootsof the plants. Certain materials may be engineered to leach to a greateror lesser extent into the surrounding soils to eradicate pests, whetherof the animal kingdom or plant kingdom, in order to protect a seed 36 orplant growing from a seed 36 sown with the prills 10. That is theoperational principle of any biocide may be maintained in operation tobest effect its purpose.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms withoutdeparting from its purposes, functions, structures, or operationalcharacteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in allrespects only as illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of theinvention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims, rather thanby the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaningand range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within theirscope.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States LettersPatent is:
 1. A composition combined as a soil amendment for improvingplants for crop-growing comprising: first particles comprising aconstituent containing at least one of nutrients selected to effectdesirable growth of the plants corresponding to the crop, protectantsselected to reduce effectiveness of pathogens attacking plants, and awater absorbent polymer comminuted to an effective diameter selected tocontrol an application rate thereof; a binder coating the firstparticles to an extent effective to form prills having a prill diameterpre-selected to effectively distribute in soil at the application rateselected; the first particles, further sized to provide a ratio ofsurface area to volume matching the application rate, wherein theapplication rate is selected to correspond an amount of the constituentrequired to be effective and a pre-selected cost per unit area of thesoil receiving the prills.
 2. The composition of claim 1, wherein thebinder is water soluble.
 3. The composition of claim 1, wherein: thefirst particles have an average, effective diameter of less than 400microns; and the average effective prill diameter is from about 1 toabout 10 millimeters.
 4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the prilldiameter is from about 2 to about 6 millimeters
 5. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the prill diameter is from about 3 to about 5millimeters.
 6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the first particlesconstitute second, third, and fourth particles, each sized to optimizerelease of nutrients, pathogens, and water, respectively, at respectiverates balanced to correspond to one another.
 7. The composition of claim6, wherein the respective rates are selected to correspond to andsupport and a growth rate preselected to effect a value of a parametercharacterizing a desirable growth feature of the plant.
 8. Thecomposition of claim 6, wherein the second, third, and fourth particlesare sized to be within a range of effective diameters selected tocontrol release of at least one of nutrients, pathogens, and waterselected to optimize a cost of application thereof with respect to aneffective yield of the crop.
 9. The composition of claim 8, furthercomprising comminuting and sorting at least one of the first, second,and third particles to meet a criterion of cost per unit area to whichthe prills are to be applied.
 10. The composition of claim 1, whereinthe first particles are sized to be within a range of effectivediameters selected to control release of at least one of nutrients,pathogens, and water selected to optimize a cost of application thereofwith respect to an effective yield of the crop.
 11. The composition ofclaim 1, wherein the effective diameter of the first particles isselected to be in a range effective to minimize a cost of applicationthereof to below a preselected value selected by an operationalconstraint corresponding to a plot of land to which the prills are to beapplied.
 12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the average effectivediameter of the first particles is selected to correspond to at that ofat least one of conventional fertilizer products, seeds to be applied toa plot selected to receive application of the prills, and an effectivediameter specified by machinery designed for at least one of fertilizerspreading, fertilizer sowing, seed spreading, and seed sowing.
 13. Thecomposition of claim 1, wherein the prill diameter is selected to feedthrough a seed drill without modification thereof.
 14. The compositionof claim 1, wherein the prills further comprise an excipient selected tourge the prills to feed properly through machinery designed to do atleast one of spreading fertilizer, sowing fertilizer, spreading seed,and sowing seed.
 15. The composition of claim 1, wherein the prills aresized and shaped to feed through a machine that dispenses conventionalchemical fertilizers, without modification to the machine asmanufactured.
 16. A method for amending soils for growing a crop ofplants, the method comprising: providing first particles comprising atleast one of a nutrient selected to effect desirable growth of theplants, a protectant selected to reduce effectiveness of pathogensattacking the plants, and a polymer, water absorbent and comminuted toan effective diameter selected to control a surface-to-volume ratiothereof effective to optimize application to soil at a ratesignificantly less than conventional applications of the polymer; andselecting a binder effective for coating the first particles to anextent effective to form prills having a prill diameter pre-selected toeffectively distribute in soil.
 17. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising: mixing the first particles; applying the binder; andagglomerating the first particles and the binder into prills.
 18. Themethod of claim 16, further comprising: selecting the first particles tobe constituted by at least one of second particles, third particles, andfourth particles corresponding respectively to the nutrient, protectant,and polymer; and optimizing an application rate of at least one of thefirst, second, third, and fourth particles to a rate meeting a costcriterion associated with a plot of land to which the prills aredirected for application thereto.
 19. The method of claim 18, furthercomprising: the selecting the first particles, further comprisingselecting and sizing at least one of the second, third, and fourthparticles to provide a ratio of surface area to volume matching anapplication rate per unit area of soil treatment selected to correspondto the amount of at least one of the nutrient, protectant, and polymer,respectively, required to be effective at a pre-selected cost per unitarea of a soil treated by application of the prills.
 20. A compositioncombined as a soil amendment comprising: first particles comprisingnutrients selected to effect desirable growth of plants corresponding toa crop; second particles comprising protectants selected to reduceeffectiveness of pathogens attacking the plant; third particlescomprising a water absorbent polymer comminuted to an effective diameterless than 400 microns; a binder coating the first, second, and thirdparticles to an extent effective to form prills having a prill diameterpre-selected to effectively distribute in soil; the third particles,further sized to provide a ratio of surface area to volume matching anapplication rate per unit area of soil treatment selected to correspondthe amount of the first particles, second particles, and thirdparticles, required to be effective and a pre-selected cost per unitarea of the soil treatment relying on application of the prills.